Alabama Crimson Tide news and notes from the weekend of October 3rd through 5th.
Alabama gets revenge on Vanderbilt with 30-14 win
Alabama got the revenge it was seeking on Saturday by beating Vanderbilt 30-14 in Bryant-Denny Stadium. After a rocky defensive start, Kane Wommack made good adjustments and shut out Diego Pavia and the Commodores for the entire second half.
The defensive effort was keyed by senior Justin Jefferson, who finished with 14 total tackles - 10 more than any other player on the team. He also had a sack and a key strip of Pavia in the first quarter with the 'Dores driving to try and take an early two-score advantage.
Ty Simpson continued to look like one of the best quarterbacks in the country, though he was far from satisfied with his performance, particularly with the offense consistently bogging down in Vanderbilt territory and having to settle for three field goals in the second half.
The best news for the offense came in the form of Jam Miller jumpstarting the ground game. Miller turned 22 carries into 136 yards and a touchdown. It was the first 100-yard game from an Alabama running back since Miller eclipsed 100 last year against USF. It was the first 100-yard game from an Alabama running back against a Power Four opponent since 2023.
Alabama lands two commitments over the weekend
Alabama landed two commitments from prospects who were in town for official visits this weekend. The first came on Saturday from 2027 3-star CB Nash Johnson III, who picked Alabama over Georgia, Kentucky, and Vanderbilt. He's a player who is expected to be a big-time riser in the rankings over the next few months.
The second came on Sunday when 3-star 2026 OL Jared Doughty committed to the Crimson Tide. Doughty chose Alabama over offers from Georgia, Ohio State, Auburn, Florida State, and others.
Doughty is one of the fastest-rising prospects in the 2026 class. He committed to Georgia State over the summer, but the Power Four offers came hot and heavy once his senior tape started getting out. It's another big win for Kalen DeBoer on the recruiting trail, and helps to solidify Alabama's Top 5 class this cycle.
Four 2026 commitments announce their recruitments are shut down
Perhaps it was a by-product of NIL/Rev Share deals getting through the NCAA's clearinghouse, but Alabama had four commitments from the 2026 class announce that they had shut down their commitments on Sunday.
The first was 4-star QB Tayden Kaawa, who was still being heavily pursued by BYU.
The second was 5-star WR Cederian Morgan, an in-state pledge who had recently taken a visit to Colorado and seemed to be flirting heavily with Coach Prime and the Buffaloes. Not anymore.
4-star QB Jett Thomalla was next. The Omaha, Nebraska native flipped to Alabama from Iowa State over the summer. He's off to an impressive start to his senior season of high school and continues to steadily rise up the rankings.
Last, but certainly not least, was 5-star RB EJ Crowell. Crowell is another in-state star who went viral on Friday night with a ridiculous Saquon Barkley-esque run and hurdle in Jackson's loss.
Whatever the reason, recruiting shutting it down and reaffirming their commitments to the Crimson Tide is good news. There's been a lot of good news for Alabama recently. Let's hope it continues.